A Second Chance
by PlainJane101
Summary: Miriam is an Imeperial woman who finds herself in Riften looking for food by thievery. In an instant, she's offered the chance of a lifetime. She takes it, but she will end up having to face the past she's been running from for the past eight years. Can she do it? Or will she be buried with the rest of the Thieves Guild? BrynjolfxOC, KarliahxGallus
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

It's dark out. The crickets chirp softly, the torchbugs fly about in small groups along the gravel road and the luna moths hover over bushes and under trees. A young imperial woman, twenty three years of age, walks along the right edge of the road, the gravel crunching softly beneath her leather boots. A cool draft comes from the direction of Lake Honrich and blows long wisps of her dark brown hair across her face. She scoops her hair and ties it back with the string she had about her wrist.

The money bag at her hip is extremely light. If it wasn't for this stupid Civil War, she could survive in this land. But with food prices doubled, she can't even afford a roof over her head. Sometimes she'll find the occasional traveler on the road carrying just enough coin for her to pick off him and head to the nearest city to afford a small meal and a bed at an Inn, but it seems there's no such luck tonight.

As she keeps walking, she looks up and takes notice of two distant torches glowing in the distance and a massive black wall towering over the treetops. Other than that the city is dark and lifeless. Then an idea comes to mind - an idea so daring and so bold that she would have scolded herself for ever thinking such a thing if it weren't for her hallow stomach. She could rob inside the city walls. She could just slip into a store, steal whatever's inside, and slip out. She has one lockpick and one chaurus egg. Looking up she sees the glowing green and golden wing of a luna moth flapping silently. A small smile curls on her lips as she jumps up, snatches the unsuspecting luna moth in her grip and crushes the delicate body. The moth's insides ooze onto her fingers and she carefully plucks the wings from the body and sets them into the satchel slung across her shoulder.

Rubbing the guts off her hands on a bush's leaves, she heads for the city with a swifter gait. As she turns the bend she spots a carriage with a brown horse attached to it. The driver stands in front of the horse, stroking the white stripe running down the front of its face. She turns her gaze to the two guards standing at the gate, the purple sash about their armor reminding her of the city's name, Riften. She's never been inside the city, so this should be a different experience. She'll be robbing upon foreign ground. But what choice does she have? Another day without food and she'll faint from weakness. And she's not wandering into the forest to fall prey to Skyrim's wolves. She's simply too weak to face another pack.

This little attempt is her last hope. As she approaches the gate, the guard to the right stops her. "Halt. Before I let you go in, you need to pay the visitor's tax." Oh no. This is the last thing she needs. No doubt the tax is more than two septims.

"What's the tax for?" She asks.

Even thought she can't see his face past his helm, his posture stiffens as he speaks defensively. "For the privilege of entering the city. What does it matter?"

She sighs as she tries to reason "Listen, I have only two septims and I am very tired. You send me out there I will fall prey to wolves. Please, let me in. I'll pay the tax when I have enough." She goes to enter, but the guard puts his arm out to stop her in her steps. "No gold, no entry. Now go back the way you came!" Miriam feels the anger grow in her, but her limbs are too tired to move with strength.

"Yes, Sir." She says defeated as she walks back down the road. Once she's out of sight, she slips into the cover of the trees and stops, taking a deep breath. She braces her mind and her body for what's to come. Lifting her left hand and splaying her fingers, a faint purple light slips out of her skin and disappears into the air. If only she had enough strength. Her muscles tense as she digs deep for the strength to cast the invisibility spell. If only she had a mortar and pestle she could mix he luna moth wing and the chaurus egg to create an invisibility potion, but now she has to rely on spell alone.

Her arm muscles contract painfully as the purple surges from her core, turning her flesh and tattered clothes transparent. Looking down at herself, she sees through her feet to the grass crushed beneath. Yes! She did it. But she has no time to celebrate in her victory. She already feels her remaining strength quickly fading from the spell's effect.

She runs back to the front gate, slips behind the guard and spots the key on his belt. Like a ghost, her fingers pluck the key from his belt and she turns and sticks the key into the keyhole. Quietly she turns it and the soft click announces that it's unlocked…she looks behind her to see the guards are still looking ahead of them, one of them softly snoring as he leans against the wall, his chin resting on his chest. Sighing silently, she turns her attention back to the door and pushes it open so softly that the small creaks that do sound only reach her ears. Thank the nine. With enough room to slip through, she does and takes the key out of the keyhole. Those guards are not getting the key back. Not after how that other one refused to let her through. She slips it into her satchel and shuts the heavy wooden door softly behind her.

"I had another run in with the Thieves Guild today." A woman's voice sounds. Miriam looks to see the back of a strong Nord woman with a large battleaxe strapped to her back and clad in iron armor. A man sits before her on a barrel. He replies "Careful, Mjoll. Those thieves are nothing but trouble." The woman, Mjoll, shakes her head. "I await the day that they're finally driven out of this city."

"Me too, Mjoll. Me too." Thieves Guild? Not another one. Miriam will get out of this city as soon as she finds some food and gold. Memories of her past start to surface, but as soon as they do she pushes them down with the pain in her hallow gut. The spell will wear off any second. She quickly ducks into the alleyway to her right just as she finally relinquishes hold on the spell. She creeps along the wall, keeping to the shadows.

Coming to the corner she stops and peeks past. The only person in sight is another Nord, this time a male with red hair and dressed in clothes that only the wealthy could afford. If only she had the coin. She could right her past. Right her…that's enough. That's enough. She pushes the thought away.

She focuses her attention back to the Nord. His back is too her as he converses with somebody. Probably the town's guard. This might just be the distraction she needs. She spots the board hanging above the shop which reads 'Pawned Prawn'. There's got to be something in there.

Slipping across the path and into the shadows cast by the Pawned Prawn, she crawls forward silently on all fours. She successfully reaches the door without the man looking back at her. It's then she realizes that he's talking…to himself. There's no one standing before him as he mutters "It went well today, very well. But I need someone to perform the job tomorrow. Someone who I could care less about getting imprisoned if this plan goes off with a hitch." His voice is heavy with an accent, but clear enough to where she can understand him. The way he talks, though. He seems as though he's talking to himself. He must be crazy.

As he continues talking nonsense, she pulls the pick from her satchel and pulls the shiv off her belt. Placing the shiv into the keyhole, she inserts the lockpick and begins turning and twisting it. She can't break this pick or else she's out of luck entirely. Well, maybe not. She could probably try the Inn…so why is she doing this? The Inn will most likely not have coin lying out like this shop will. Also after the guards realize their key is gone and see her inside the city, it'll be to jail with her.

With this realization she picks faster and finally finds the lock. She twists the lock until a click sounds. It's unlocked! She puts the pick and shiv into her satchel with haste and sneaks into the shop, shutting the door softly behind her. It's dark, the only light coming from behind the counter. She carefully watches her footing on the wooden planks as she creeps over to the counter. Just as she reaches the counter, she hears gasps and moans coming from the basement. There not gasps and moans of pain, but of pleasure. Boy, she came in at the wrong time. But maybe if the residents are so busy, she can move with more ease.

She gets to work, slipping the seven loose gold septims into her satchel and grabbing a loaf of bread from the table by the door. Greedily she scarves the bread down. It fills her stomach a bit, but not enough. She takes a cheese wedge and an apple and stuffs them into her satchel for later. Turning her attention back to the counter, she spots a sword atop it. A sword! She sneaks over and stands up with ease, gazing down at the sword. It's simple and plain, but better she have a sword than a small shiv. It'll be much better defense against those wolves! Not only that, she might be able to start performing odd jobs for a Jarl, earn some coin, buy some food and maybe even get in good with a Jarl. It's a lot to think how a hunk of metal can take someone so far, but this might be her last chance.

Just as she reaches for it, a strong hand appears out of nowhere and lands on the sword's hilt. She freezes suddenly as a soft, husky voice sets her left ear ablaze. "Well, well, lass, what have we got here?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: Hey, I just wanted to thank those who reviewed and those who put this story on their alert list. This fanfic is my twist on the Thieves Guild QuestLine. So I'm sorry if you feel that I've written Brynjolf as a different character. I'm still going to keep him as the man who loves wealth, though, so don't worry. As I continue to write, you'll notice how the other characters may be a bit out of character as well, especially Delvin. But again this is my twist on the story and I hope you enjoy it. Constructive Criticism is welcomed. Well, sit back, relax, and enjoy the read. :)**

**Chapter 2**

It's all over. She's been caught thieving and now she's going to be thrown into jail for the rest of her life just because she doesn't have a septim to pay for her bounty. She finds herself tongue tied as she lays her wrists out on the counter, waiting for the Guard to clap the irons on her. But a moment passes. Another moment passes. Nothing aside from the guard's weight pinning her between him and the counter and the residents of the store still in the basement, the moans unceasing.

Daringly she casts a glance at the guard behind her. To her surprise it's not a guard, but the red haired Nord she had seen outside. He stares back at her, his green eyes almost glowing like cat's eyes in the yellow glow coming from the basement. He tilts his head to the left, obviously waiting for her answer. Miriam tries to find some words to answer, but with her heart pounding frantically and her stomach twisted beyond hunger all she manages to utter is "What's th-the question?"

A chuckle comes from somewhere deep in his chest. "I'm only going to say this once. You want gold; meet me at my stand when the sun rises. If you don't, then get out of this city. There's only one breed of thieves here and we don't need another breed forming." With that the weight at her back disappears. She turns around to see the Nord is nowhere in sight.

He left with an offer and a threat. She can either comply with his wishes or she has to leave. What does he mean only one breed of thieves? So if she steals anything of real value, what will he do to her? Will the Nord hunt her down? Damn. She goes out there and she doesn't stand a chance. Her body is too weak to trek another mile and even this little food won't be enough to keep her going.

If she can piece this together correctly, what she heard about a Thieves Guild here in the city and him talking about how there's only one breed of thieves – he must be from this city's breed of thieves. Not only that, if she takes anything then the Guild here would be receiving false glory, meaning they would be blamed for thievery they didn't do. Another thief is stepping onto their turf. Ah, that's it. The Nord's probably just guarding his territory. So while she's on their turf, she ought to play by their rules or she'll have the whole Guild out after here. No doubt they're working with the Guards, too. By the nine, the odds are stacked up against her. Well, what choice does she have?

She quietly counts the seven gold septims out of her satchel and sets them on the counter just as she had found them. Then she puts the apple and cheese wedge on the table in the same position she picked them up in and slips out the door as silent as a Khajiit.

As she steps out into the moonlight, there's a small commotion just beyond the building in front of her. "Where's the key?!" A woman's shouts angrily. "I-I don't know! It was on my belt a moment ago, but then –" Miriam is yanked back suddenly by a mysterious force. She goes to cry out for help, but stops when she sees the helms of the guards. "There you are, you little thief!" One guard's hand pulls the satchel's strap past her head. "Hey!" She tries to pull from the other Guard, but he grips her right arm as well, holding her in place as the Guard digs through her satchel.

"Please, I'll –" "Silence!" The Guard restraining her orders. She does so, bowing her head and waiting for the Guard to pull the key out into view.

"Is it on her?" Miriam looks up as the Guard shrugs his shoulders, the satchel hanging in his left hand. The Guard restraining her releases her only to pat her sides, check her apron pockets and even pull off her boots. Both Guards stop and stand back staring in bewilderment at the barefooted imperial. "Is it in her hair?" One Guard asks, though she can't tell which one because of their helms. "I don't know." One Guard starts to walk forward with outstretched hands, but Miriam quickly steps back, saying "Oh no you don't! You've checked me all over. You're not searching through my hair!"

"How do we know the key's not in your hair, then?" Miriam goes to talk back, but is once again tongue-tied. "That's what I thought." The Guard who was approaching her does so and pulls her hair from its tie. He runs his gloved hands through the long tresses only to find tangles and some pine needles, but nothing more.

"No…key." He mutters as he holds her tie out for her. She holds her palm out and lets him drop it in her hand. No need to anger them further. She'll get back at him another way. The other Guard hands her the satchel with a warning. "I know you picked that key off my belt. I've got my eye on you." The Guard picks up his shield and follows the other back to the front gate, leaving Miriam wondering just exactly what happened to the key. She knows she put it in her satchel, so why didn't the Guards find it when they were digging through it?

Miriam sighs as she checks her satchel to make sure the shiv, the pick, and the two septims are still in there. They are. Good.

Sleep slips into her limbs and eyes. If only she had a bed to sleep on. The grassy plains of Whiterun were alright, but the constant threat of Sabertooth cats kept her very close to Whiterun's walls. On the rare occasions she could afford a bed, she would sleep in the Bannered Mare. But now it seems that's too far away. Looking to her right, the glowing embers of a forge looks inviting. She walks over to it and sits on the cool stone ground. Cuddling up against the warm stone of the forge, she quickly drifts to sleep with a blank mind.

A dreamless, dark sleep is all her subconscious can imagine. It's even tired from all the spells she cast in the last two days. Her body eagerly consumes the bread, but that little bit of food is not nearly enough.

"Hey." The voice is far off as a weight comes to rest upon her shoulder. "Hey, wake up. Wake up." Miriam forces her tired eyes open to see that the sun is starting to rise. She turns to see a fair haired Nord towering over her, his hand gripping her right shoulder. "Would you mind moving? I've got work to do." "Oh, on." She replies with a raspy voice as she gets to her feet and walks a few steps away.

"Thank you." The Nord replies as he grabs his hammer from the workbench and pulls the chord hanging above the forge. Sparks jump out of the embers as the yellow glow grows in intensity and then just as the sparks rejoin the embers the glow fades. She turns from the forge to see what appears to be the city's marketplace. Four stands, three empty and one occupied – one that is occupied by a red haired Nord. That must be the same man from last night. He sets two tall bottles of some strange burgundy concoction on the display rack of his stand. Is he selling some sort of potion? She's no alchemist so she's not sure. Out of curiosity she walks towards the stand and stops behind the small brick fence dividing the marketplace from the walkway.

"What is that?" Miriam asks. He stops in the midst of arranging the mixtures and turns his gaze towards her. His face in the light is a much more welcoming sight than those glowing eyes last night. Not nearly as menacing. He's not a bad looking man, either. In the light, he's quite attractive – tall, broad shoulders and rugged features. But just because he looks like a sweet roll on the outside doesn't mean he is one. For all she knows he could be like a skeever on the inside; venom dripping from its teeth, waiting quietly in the dark to strike its next victim with Ataxia. The inside is what makes a man, not the out.

He flashes a devious smile at her as he picks up a bottle of it. "This is genuine Falmer Blood Elixir. One sip of this and you'll be immortal. You'll have instant wealth. And you'll make love like a saber cat." Miriam finds herself inwardly cringing at the last few words. "Only fifty gold septims. Fair price, no?" The Nord's grin grows wider as he sets down elixir back on its stand.

"For all that, that's a fair price indeed." Miriam responds. "But I'm afraid I don't have enough coin to spend…" She lowers her voice and presses her stomach against the cold stone, knowing she's entering into dangerous dialogue now. "…nor would I want to spend it because its an…elaborate scheme to scam idiots of their coin." The Nord looks at her with an upraised brow. He chuckles deeply as he replies in a husky whisper "Idiots are my targets."

He nods, straightens his back and reaches into his pocket. "I believe you're looking for…" He pulls his hand out of his pocket and in his palm is the key! The gate key! "…this." She gasps and reaches out to take it from him, but he pulls it out of reach. "Please! Give me the key!" The Nord shakes his head as she starts to dart around the stone. Just as she reaches his stand he turns and throws it. Miriam stops in her steps as she helplessly watches the black key start to arc back towards Nirn. It disappears past the railing and a split second later the sound of it smacking the water reaches her ears. She looks back to him with horror. He's going to rat her out!

He only returns her shock with a satisfied grin. "Don't worry, lass. Not your problem anymore." He lowers his voice as he darkly threatens "But I can make it your problem again if you don't play by my rules. Understand?" Miriam sighs heavily and looks up to the golden sky imagining the man dangling a heavy bag of coin above her head. She chose to stay and so she has to do exactly as he tells her. Otherwise she'll spend the rest of the fourth era in jail.

"Understand." She looks back to him to see his hand is outstretched. "What's your name?" He asks. She takes his hand in a weak handshake. "Miriam." "Brynjolf."

Brynjolf releases her hand as he says "Here's what I want you to do. Once people start coming into the marketplace, I want you to look for an Argonian named Madesi who will go to that stand." He points to the empty stand behind Miriam. "Then at this stand a Dunmer named Brand-Shei should come shortly after him." He points to the stand opposite his. "I'm going to create a distraction. I want you to break into Madesi's strongbox beneath his stand and steal his silver ring. Then I want you to place it in Brand-Shei's pocket without him noticing."

"Why plant the ring on Brand-Shei?"

Brynjolf frowns slightly as he replies "Because someone wants to see him put out of business permanently. That's all you need to know. Think you can handle that?"

"What if I refuse?" Miriam asks hesitantly. Brynjolf grumbles as he replies "Then you best leave this city quickly before I make that key your problem again. But I don't see why anyone in their right mind would refuse? Especially someone in your shoes."

"But –"

"Do I have to spell this out for you? I told you: you either play by my rules or you leave. If you don't want this job, then go work in at the Black-Briar Meadery. No one's stopping you." Miriam doesn't even know where to start when it comes to mead. She doesn't even drink the liquid. If she had coin she would.

He's right – no one's stopping her. Something in her doesn't let her walk away in shame. Courage, pride, anger? Definitely not anger. And courage? When has courage ever come into thievery? If it does, then it does so rarely. Pride? What does she have to be proud of? Nothing, really. Her stomach grumbles suddenly. That's it. That's what keeps her from walking away. Her hunger. And this job he describes, it shouldn't be really anything different than how she's been getting by, pick pocketing people on the road.

Oh, what has she got to lose? "Alright, I'll do it. How much will I get?" A small smile plays on his lips as he pulls a heavy sack of coin from behind his back! "A hundred gold septims." That's…five nights in an Inn with all the food she can eat.


End file.
